WILLISTON, ND — We’ve all seen the big-city movies. Ragtag New York investigators and good-timing gangsters all get that sudden craving for greasy, cheap food, and when they do, they stop at whatever’s closest — usually a food truck or hot dog stand. There, they meet a hard-working local they know by name, who gives them a gyro and a smile.

So why can’t Williston have that kind of “we’re-all-just-gettin’-by-here” scene?

“I think there’s definitely a market for food trucks,” said Cooks On Main owner Angela DeMars. A Williston native, DeMars understands the draw to mobile food vendors, which were a swarming addition to Williston a few years ago, just before the city disallowed them within city limits and the surrounding mile of extra territory in October of 2012.

Mobile food businesses made a killing in Williston before their brick-and-mortar competition could catch up with the massive demand for dining during the population boom.

“When things started ramping up, all of a sudden there were tents in town, BBQs and Grills,” said City Planner Kent Jarcik. “They were essentially permanent businesses operating out of a truck. There were some health and safety concerns.”

Find the entire article at thedickinsonpress.com [here]